People regularly ask me what my biggest beauty secret is. While I often say that exercise is the closest thing there is to an anti-ageing pill, there is another factor that supersedes all others when it comes to looking and feeling fresh – sleep.
Sleep is not a passive activity
It’s a time when our brain is repairing and replenishing and we need quality deep sleep for this to happen. Sleep also has a powerful effect on our mood and our weight. Our skin too suffers from a consistent lack of sleep.
There are the lucky few who fall asleep the moment their head hits the pillow and who sleep soundly, undisturbed by external or internal chatter. Oh, how I envy them. Sleep has always been a tricky one for me. I remember even as a child, staring into the dark, unable to sleep. As an adult, it only got worse. The slightest bit of noise brings me out of the deepest of sleeps and all my worries become the size of gargantuan hurdles the moment I turn the light off.
Being unable to sleep is a particular form of torture
The good news is that it can be improved, with small tricks. I’ve now overhauled my whole sleep routine and had great results. I’d go so far as to say that it’s had a profound effect on my life.
Now I wake up bright and early and don’t even need to set an alarm. I’ve come to love the early mornings when the world is quiet. I use this time to potter around instead of late at night or I sit in bed with a cup of tea and read. On days when I wake up extra early, I sometimes put my iPad on and watch a show, which feels indulgent, but I love it. I never thought I’d be a morning person, but it’s been life-changing.
These are the changes I’ve made to my bedtime routine for better sleep…
1. Understanding melatonin
They say a good night’s sleep starts in the morning and this is because the infrared and blue light emitted by the early morning sun has many benefits.
One of the most important of these is helping lower our melatonin levels. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that plays a crucial role in our sleep/wake cycle. It also helps to regulate our circadian rhythms and our hormones.
When your melatonin goes down (as it should in the morning), you feel more energised and ready to face the day ahead. Melatonin levels rise again naturally in the evening and help us to sleep well.
An early morning walk is the perfect way to help our circadian rhythms by getting enough light to help regulate our hormones – make sure not to wear sunglasses, though, as it limits the blue light we need to absorb in the AM.
Taking time for a walk is a quick and easy way of achieving our fitness goals and helping us to destress.
Early morning sunlight is essential for sleeping well
Even in summer, try going without sunglasses for at least 15 minutes to allow the light to penetrate your eyes.
2. Limit blue light in the PM
By contrast, we don’t want exposure to blue light in the evening. This is the time of day we want our melatonin levels to increase, helping to make us sleepy.
Modern life has created an atmosphere that makes sleep almost impossible, as blue light is a constant presence. All of our devices are emitting blue light. Our smartphones, computers, iPads, LED TVs and even fluorescent lights are all emitting light that wakes us up.
Using our phones in bed is bad news for sleep. This is one of the most important things I’ve changed in my sleep routine. I turn off all devices a couple of hours before bed. I never have my phone by my bed and don’t use my smartphone as an alarm. Instead, I use an old-fashioned alarm clock. It’s amazing how many people I’ve spoken to use their phones for this purpose, and I can guarantee it’s impacting their sleep patterns.
As with everything, some people are more sensitive to blue light than others. I do often use a Kindle, which also emits some blue light, but find that this one thing alone, doesn’t affect me. For people who are very sensitive or who have to use devices at night, I would recommend getting glasses specially designed to block out blue light.
3. Dim the lights
Another trick for sleeping well is to dim the lights in your home a couple of hours before bed to help prepare your brain for sleep. I turn off the overhead lights and use bedside or table lamps only.
4. Early to bed
The other important change I’ve made is to go to bed earlier. This has made a huge difference to how fast I fall asleep. I’ve always been a night owl and used to watch TV until after 11 pm. Then I would potter around my house doing things I didn’t have time to do during the day.
Eventually, I’d get into bed sometime after midnight and then start reading. I was often turning off my light well after 1 am.
Writing this it sounds ridiculous, but I did it for years. I now have a rule that I always turn off the light before midnight. I’ve noticed that midnight seems to be the cut-off point for me.
Any later, my mind starts whirring and my worries amplify. I simply can’t fall asleep. I’ve realised that the earlier I turn off the light, the more relaxed I feel and the better I sleep. This has possibly been the most important factor in improving my sleep.
5. A calming routine
If you’re feeling stressed at bedtime. I suggest doing some meditation or deep breathing. I often use a specific exercise that’s great for anxiety or stress. When used before bed, it acts like a sedative and more than likely will put you to sleep. Watch my video below to try it yourself:
Breathing exercise for anxiety
Consistency is also key. I try and go to bed at a similar time every night which has ended up being around 11 pm. I realise that is rather late for many people but is a major adjustment for a night owl like me.
If you struggle to sleep well, try implementing some changes like me and create a consistent sleep routine. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes. Sleep is that important and that powerful.
